Submission to Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Inquiry into Melbourne’s Public Housing Towers Redevelopment. We advocate for every person living in Victoria to have access to safe, secure and affordable housing that meets their needs. Housing is a fundamental human right, and access to secure, long-term housing is a crucial foundation for personal health, wellbeing and agency. We therefore recognise this as a project with significant potential to transform Melbourne’s housing context in a way that benefits the poorest families and individuals and, in turn, the entire community.
We acknowledge there is ongoing debate as to whether the redevelopment of all 44 housing towers is necessary (compared to renovating or retrofitting some sites). The recommendations in this submission are therefore offered to ensure that the redevelopment of any or all towers is undertaken in such a way that it delivers a just and equitable outcome for residents.
There have been longstanding problems with the design and functionality of the towers (for example, amenities, accessibility, energy efficiency). We support the redevelopment of the towers insofar as the intent is to ensure the homes meet or exceed modern building and sustainability standards, and in turn provide a higher standard of living for current and future residents. However, we argue that more needs to be done to ensure a ‘just’ transition for residents of the public housing towers throughout the redevelopment process.
